Migraine

[doublejoy]

Hello, my name is Joy and I am new to the group.

I have had migraines since I was a teen and am now in my early 50's. They can be really bad, like when you wake up in the night and the top of your head is exploding, or they can start in a tiny spot either on one side or the other or the nape of my neck. In these cases I can take my Maxalt and head it off (usually). Maxalt is incredibly expensive but it is like gold to me and almost always works.

About the Aura: I get the aura really bad, it starts as tiny zigzag lines along the outside curve of the brown part of my eyes. Within about 10 minutes the zigzags close in and I am totally blinded. I have to lie down with a pillow over my head, staring at all that crappy sparkling zigzag stuff. Usually it starts to subside after about an hour. The weird thing is, I never get a headache after these episodes. I am not complaining, I am usually exhausted and useless for the rest of the day, they really do me in. But I have never come across anyone who has aura and no headache following. I have not tried taking Maxalt for this, I have to save those for the headaches.

Has anyone else ever had this experience? The first time it happened was at my Bridal shower when I was 26. I was sitting at the head table opening gifts. Somehow, with my sister-in-law's help I was able to sit there and not let on. (Hey I was 26 and my mother-in-law was evil and I was terrified of her - she was giving me the shower and nothing was supposed to go wrong) Anyway, I was terrified, thought I was having a stroke or dying. I went to the doc and he explained what it was, but was extremely suprised that the headache did not follow.

I have had these episoded ever since, maybe about twice a year, much less often than the killer Migraines!

Sorry to be so long-winded, I am just trying to tell a story and see if it sounds familiar to anyone.

Thanks for listening,

Joy

[myodoc]

Hi Joy,

Aura without migraine is actually fairly common especially in those who had or have a history of migraine. This is thought to be a benign occurrence that is best left untreated. As you describe, the symptoms resolve within an hour. I would not recommend Maxalt in these cases; however a baby aspirin once a day is suggested. In women with a history of migraine with aura and later aura only have a slightly higher chance of stroke that can potentially be prevented with Aspirin.

At the very least, you could take an over the counter preparation at the onset like aleve, advil or excedrin migraine to stave of the after effects.

Hope this is helpful. If there is any change, I would recommend neurologic consultation and perhaps an MRI scan.

[mogue]

What works like magic for visual symptoms of aura is the homeopathic Iris Versicolor. Give it a try.


lucy

[matahari]

I have never had pain with my migraines. As I get older the aura-type migraines become more frequent, especially here at the threshold of menopause. My last episode was last week, but it was the second time where I also had aphasia and some slight amnesia so I had my boyfriend take me to the ER as I was sure I must be having a stroke. They did a non-contrast CAT scan (I am allergic to shellfish so that puts me out of the running for any iodine-based dyes) and didn't find evidence of a stroke, nor did I have any one-sided weakness and within an hour the entire episode was over and I felt fine. I am ultra light sensitive all of the time and find bright light or contrast light to be a major trigger.

I am interested in hearing other's stories about non-painful optical migraines...they are scary (when accompanied or followed by aphasia) and I have a lot of anxiety about the next one.

[esullivannn]

Here is my story..and yes I remember the first time I had one I was sure I was dying but my friends kept telling me I was just having a panic attack and it was so frustrating!!
I have been diagnosed as having migraines without headache. Since I was untreated for a long time while seeking a diagnosis (I did extensive testing for epilepsy, vertigo, anxiety, and anything that could be wrong with my eyes), I developed chronic symptoms that I have 24 hrs a day. The chronic symptoms are the same as what I would have during an episode, but less severe. I have weird visual symptoms that are hard to explain - basically things look strange when they move like cars going down the street or people moving around in a grocery store. If I am in a crowded place where people are moving around in all different directions (like airports, schools, etc) this sensation can be extremely disorienting. During an intense episode it also seems like my eyes will zoom in on things. Things also look more intense, and it gives me a feeling like I am stoned or haven't slept in days, though if I close my eyes my headspace feels normal. During an episode these feelings can almost feel like an uncomfortable out-of-body or drugged feeling. These symptoms always increase in intensity in bright lights. They are also much easier to cope with if I am not wearing my glasses, so I almost never wear them anymore which has been pretty inconveinent since my vision is -2.75/-3.00. I also experience fatigue, especially after an episode. Sometimes I also experience lightheadedness and dizzyness, especially if I am tired. The dizzyness usually feels like more of a body sensation along with a sea-sick feeling than visual dizzyness although I sometimes get 'the spins'.
Anyways, my doctor prescribed me propranolol which seemed to work for about three weeks. I didn't have any episodes and the chronic symptoms felt just a tiny bit better every day. And then right at the beginning of my menstrual cycle I started feeling worse and the next day I had an episode. I took Sumitriptan (Imitrex) which was prescribed to me to take at the onset of a migraine, and it helped but not as much as I wanted it to. For the next four weeks it felt like I was having an episode every few days or every other day. It seems like every episode I have lowers my tolerence for what may cause the next episode (my triggers seem to be bright lights, strong bad smells, annoying loud noises like bus transfer stations, alchohol, cheese/dairy, irregular sleep, and possibly menstrual cycle). Basically, the Sumitriptan would work less and less each time I took it, so my PCP and I decided I should stop taking it since it is obvioulsy not effective enough. However, she does not want to prescribe me an alternative until I meet with a migraine specialist who can better guide me on when to take the medication (sometimes it is confusing because my chronic symptoms are the same as having an episode so I only have intensity of symptoms and not the symptoms themselves to go on).
My questions are:
Is there anyone else there who suffers migraine without headache who developed any chronic symptoms?
Did you take any abortive medications that were successful for you?
Did you take any preventative meds that were successful?
How long after treatment(s) did your chronic symptoms completely go away?
Is there anyone else out there who suffers migraine without headache who has symptoms that are more similar to mine instead of the more typical flashing-lights?

[esullivannn]

Do you know if this works for visual symptoms that are not flashing lights?
For me, things just look strange when they move but it can be very disorienting. They also look too intense which makes me feel like I am stoned or haven't slept in days and are very uncomfortable to deal with. Since my migraines went untreated due to trouble with diagnosis since I don't have headache, these symptoms have become chronic..have you heard of this herbal treatment helping anyone with chronic symptoms?

[esullivannn]

*Just to be clear, in my last post I was referring to Iris Versicolor.